Italian Media: Independent MP Marjana Koçeku Challenges Rama, Albanians Support the EU, Not the Government

Marjana Koçeku, the independent MP also known as “Neomalsore,” has spoken about her departure from the Socialist Party, her opposition to government policies, her vision for Albania’s development and the civic protests. She outlined her positions in an interview with Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa.

After studying political science and international relations abroad, Koçeku returned to Albania in 2021. Her goal was to develop her family’s agritourism business near Lake Koman.

According to Koçeku, her involvement in politics began when Prime Minister Edi Rama personally invited her to join the Socialist Party for the 2025 parliamentary elections.

However, on June 14, 2026, she left the Socialist Party, arguing that she could no longer support policies that, in her view, harm the environment.

Koçeku explained that she tried to advance several environmental protection initiatives but found that they were not well received. According to her, policies leading to environmental destruction were becoming increasingly aggressive, prompting her to conclude that she was contributing to the exact opposite of what she believed in.

After leaving the Socialist Party, she chose not to relinquish her parliamentary mandate and to continue serving as an independent MP, despite facing political pressure and attacks on social media.

She said that the party and fellow MPs pressured her to resign, while hundreds of anonymous profiles attacked her online. Koçeku stressed that she had carefully considered her decision and would complete her term as an independent MP.

In the interview, the MP also criticized the way tourism is currently being developed in Albania. According to her, investment should be directed toward sustainable tourism while preserving the country’s natural and cultural identity.

Koçeku believes that the very features that make Albania unique are being damaged to make way for projects similar to those found anywhere else in the world. She emphasized that the country does not need to become a copy of other states.

Speaking about the civic protests that began at the end of May, she described them as the emergence of a new social movement.

According to the MP, the protest is the most beautiful expression of civic engagement she has ever seen and, she believes, one of the most remarkable Europe has witnessed recently. Koçeku described it as an energetic, creative revolution, conscious of the future citizens want for the country.

Regarding European integration, she called on the European Union not to rely solely on government reports but also to listen to the voices of citizens and civil society.

Koçeku stated that Albanians are strongly in favor of the European Union, but that does not mean they support the government. In her view, the integration process must ensure democracy, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.

Concluding the interview, the MP confirmed that she would continue her political activities as an independent. Her priorities will remain protecting the environment, strengthening democracy and representing the younger generation in Albanian political life.